Water Smart Power: Strengthening the U.S electricity system in a warming world

The heat waves and drought that hit the United States in 2011 and 2012 shined a harsh light on the vulnerabilities of the U.S electricity sector to extreme weather. The coal based electricity system clearly cannot meet the needs in a future of growing demand for electricity, worsening strains on water resources and an urgent need to mitigate against climate change. This report is the second from the Energy and Water in a Warming World Initiative and shows that electricity choices will have major consequences over the coming decades, particularly in water stressed regions. The report finds that business as usual in the power sector would not only fail to reduce carbon emissions, but would not tap opportunities to safeguard water.